-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Kjeld Schigt certainly understands the allure of stepping away from the business world to embrace a healthier lifestyle .

Until 2010 , the Rotterdam-born Schigt worked as a strategic business consultant for BP International , a high-powered job that kept him ricocheting so constantly between London and Paris that he barely had time to unpack his suitcase . Then , a two-week trip to Costa Rica changed everything .

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`` Finally , '' Schigt remembers about his sojourn , which he spent surfing on the country 's sunny Pacific coast , `` I felt excited to get out of bed in the morning . I felt full of energy and that finally I was getting things -- things I was passionate about -- done . ''

The trip prompted Schigt to make a major paradigm shift . Within a month he 'd quit his job , bought a slice of secluded beachfront property on Costa Rica 's southern coast and opened the new business there that he still runs today : Kalon Surf School , which offers retreats for -LRB- among others -RRB- plenty of stressed-out business executives .

For most of us , of course , the idea of dropping our business careers to pursue fitness and fun is something of a pipe dream . When our first meetings of the day start at 7 a.m. and `` after-work plans '' often involve wining and dining clients , even squeezing in an hour to hit the gym can seem impossible . Yet we all know we feel better -- and work better -- when we 're healthy . So what 's the solution ? Get-fit getaway packages , which let us spend a few days rebooting and relearning healthy habits to incorporate into our busy lives .

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`` People are tired of sitting on the beach with a Mai Tai , '' says Kirkland Shave , program director at Mountain Trek Health , Fitness & Weight Loss Retreat . He sees more and more business travelers using their time off to do something healthy -- like hiking trails in the awe-inspiring mountains of British Columbia . While part of what retreat guests love about the Mountain Trek experience is their shrinking waistlines , Shave says the restorative power of nature is equally powerful . `` A week without hearing a car , '' he says , `` can blow someone 's mind . ''

The combination of activity and beautiful scenery seems to be the magic formula for many of today 's best get-fit retreats . But all approach the `` reboot '' experience differently , whether by leading participants through downward dogs on Mexico 's Riviera Maya , biking -LRB- and tasting -RRB- through California wine country , or taking group swims in the warm , clear waters of the British Virgin Islands . Some programs put an even greater focus on healthy food preparation and consumption , like the Techniques of Healthy Cooking boot camps run by the famed Culinary Institute of America .

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Miraval Resort : Tucson , Arizona

Miraval 's sprawling 400-acre campus , just outside Tucson , routinely hosts execs from Fortune 500 companies such as Nike and Google . Take part in the Discover Miraval package here -LRB- for as many days/nights as you choose -RRB- and you 'll see why : the healthful pursuits here range from daily yoga and meditation classes to private nutritional consultations to rock climbing up the granite crags of 7,000-foot Mount Lemmon , the highest point in the Santa Catalina Mountains . The vast menu of relaxing body treatments -LRB- reflexology , hot stone massage -RRB- and the delicious spa cuisine served at the onsite Cactus Flower restaurant certainly do n't hurt , either . From $ 633 per night .

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Mountain Trek Health : British Columbia , Canada

If you need a firm hand to help you shed those extra pounds , a trip to Mountain Trek 's lakeside resort for its `` Fitness and Weight Loss Retreat '' is just the ticket . Set between the awe-inspiring Selkirk and Purcell Ranges of British Columbia , the hiking boot camp runs from May to October and keeps you moving with a steady program of daily four - to six-mile hikes -- beginning with an inescapable 6 a.m. wake-up knock on your door . After a few days of trekking through fields of wildflowers , steep wooded glades and misty riverbanks , the scenery might even distract you from the weight you 're dropping : an average of four to six pounds per week for women , double that for men . From $ 4,000 for seven nights .

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Kalon Surf School : Dominical , Costa Rica

You 'll want to pack light when heading to Kalon 's laid-back beachfront property , nestled between the bathtub-warm waters of the Pacific and the lush green Cordillera mountains -- everything , even sunscreen , is provided for you here . Surfing 's combination of challenging exercise and exhilarating immersion in nature is powerful medicine for the overworked , and surfers with all levels of experience are welcome at the camp 's week-long programs . -LRB- Daily clinics where your technique is assessed by videotape allow even newbies to improve quickly . -RRB- After a punishing day in the surf , bide time in the pool until dinner , when local delicacies like just-caught tuna in tamarind sauce appear from the kitchen . From $ 2,980 for seven nights .

Maya Tulum : Tulum , Mexico

If crystal-blue oceans , emerald-green forests and sugary beaches sound more inspiring than a sweaty yoga studio , head south to Mexico 's Riviera Maya for the Mind Body Adventure Week at Maya Tulum . You 'll stay in one of 45 intimate thatched-roof cabanas , located just steps away from the resort 's two massive yoga halls ; after waking up early to enjoy a cup of freshly pressed organic Mexican coffee , you 'll get to choose from more than 10 varieties of yoga . Count on more than just sun salutations filling your day -- there 's plenty of time between classes to enjoy traditional Mesoamerican treatments at the onsite spa , venture out to nearby Mayan ruins or indulge in a restorative afternoon beach nap . From $ 2,645 for seven nights .

Red Mountain Resort : St. George , Utah

You can get your fitness groove back over a long weekend at an intense `` Weekend Warrior '' three-day boot camp . Red Mountain 's location , set between Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks , means your daily exercise will take place amid some of the country 's most dazzling natural landscapes -- surreal sunset-colored rock formations , soaring mountain peaks , black lava gardens . A strenuous itinerary of daily hikes , group fitness classes and individual exercise instruction will ensure you keep the calories burning -LRB- enough that you wo n't feel guilty tucking into your dinner of locally sourced elk at the Canyon Breeze restaurant -RRB- . Après workout , you 'll want to make time to visit the onsite spa , where desert botanicals and Utah honey are employed to ease your tired muscles . From $ 1,120 for four days/three nights .

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Do sun salutations on the Riviera Maya or hike the Canadian mountains

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Surfing combines challenging exercise and exhilarating immersion in nature

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These getaways take the drudgery out of getting fit